Electric pull socket



1936. H. HUBBELL. JR 2,051,857

' I ELECTRIC PULL SOCKET Filed July 1'7, 1930 Patented Aug. 25, 1936 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE:

This invention relates to new and useful improvements on sockets for electric bulbs, plugs or the like, and has for an object the provision of a socket which is free of porcelain or other easily breakable insulating material. It is also;

an object to do away with molded insulating members in these sockets.

Another object of the invention is to provide a socket having the characteristics stated and including a switch mechanism, wherein the switch mechanism is mounted on a sheet or slab of strong and durable insulating material such as Bakelite or pressed fibre.

A further object is to provide an electric socket including a support for contacts, the support com prising a sheet or slab of insulating material perforated or notched, the contacts being secured thereto by means of lugs on the contacts and passing through the perforations or notches in the slab and clinched at the opposite sides thereof.

Additional objects and advantages will become apparent from a consideration of the following detailed description taken in connection with the accompanying drawing showing one embodiment of the invention. It is to be understood that the invention is not limited to the details shown and that changes in construction, combination and arrangement of parts may well be made without departing from the spirit of the invention or the scope of the appended claims;

In the drawing:

Fig. 1 is a vertical sectional view through a complete socket showing the invention;

Fig. 2 is a side elevational view of a screw shell removed from the socket shell and having the invention applied thereto;

Fig. 3 is an elevational view taken at right angles to Fig. 2, parts being broken away;

Fig. 4 is a top plan or end view with the cap removed, the plane of view being on the line 4-4 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 5 is a bottom plan view of the screw shell shown in Figs. 2 and 3;

Fig. 6 is a side elevational view of the mounting plate for the slab of insulating material, the plate being removed from the socket;

- Fig. 7 is a detailed vertical sectional view showing the mounting and construction of the center contact of the socket and associated stationary switch contact;

Fig. 8 is an elevational view from the front showing the other stationary switch contact Fig. 9 is a side or edge view of the contact of Fig. 8;

Fig. 10 is a separated view, showing the means of Fig. '11.

for mounting the pivot pin for the switch the section of the plate being substantially online Ill-I 0 Fig.11 is a and r Fig. .12 is a detail view showing the connection for the chain 'to the operating disc.

Referring in detail to the drawing, at In is plan view of a portion of the plate,

shown a socket shell of any or the usual construc-' tion and having a liner II The shell cap is shown at I2 and this cap is lined with insulating material as at I 3 and includes a portion I4 to telescope over one end of the socket shell whereby the cap and shell may be secured together by any suitable type of detachable se-' curing means. It is to shell and cap just described are conventional and of insulating material.

that the invention is not limited to use with such structure.

' Within the socket shell In there is disposed a screw shell I5 preferably including an end wall I6 provided with a central opening I! and having upstanding lugs or ears I8 struck up from the end wall, altho the end of this shell is not necessarily closed. A metal plate I9 is disposed within the shell I5 and against the end wall I6 thereof, the

plate I 9 having an opening corresponding with the opening I! in the wall I 6 and the plate I9 has lanced and struck-up portions or ears 2I spaced from, each other across the plate in two directions. The plate I9 and shell I5 are connected to and supported by a sheet or slab of in sulating material 22, of a thickness to fill the lat eral space between the portions or lugs 2I and this slab is secured in place by any suitable meansas by means of bolts 23 passing through the ears I8 on the wall I6, through the lugs 2| on the plate I9, and through the slab 22, being secured as by means of nuts 24.

The slab 22 is also a mounting for contacts and switch mechanism for supplying and controlling the supply of electrical energy to an electric-bulb or other means screwed into the shell I5. To this end a conductor 25 is disposed against one wall or side of slab 22 and is secured to the slab at its upper end by means of lugs 26 passing through.

openings or notches in the upper end portion of the slab and bentover or clinched as at 21 against the opposite side of the slab. A binding post 28 connects a lead wire 29 to the conductor 25 and be understood that the the lower end of the conductor is held in Contact 7 with one of the ears or projections I8 of the end wall I6 of the screw shell I 5 the latter forming an electrical connection between conductor 25 and screw shell l5. Preferably the lower end of the conductor 25 is secured in contact with one of the ears [8 by means of one of the securing screws 23.

At 30 is shown the central contact for the socket. This contact is secured to the slab 22 by means of lugs 3| extending through openings or notches in the lower end portions of the slab 22 and bent against the side of the slab as at 33. The contact 39 includes a portion 34 extending through the openings i1 and 28 in the end wall 16 and plate 19 respectively. and providing the central contact to engage the central contact of a bulb or other object screwed into the shell 15.

An insulating disc 34 of fibre or other insulating material is placed over the plate 19 under the contact 34 to prevent the contact 34' being forced into engagement with plate I9 and causing a short circuit.

Slab 22 is provided with four spacedopenings 35, 36, 31 and 38 and the contact member 30 includes a portion 39 extending through one of the openings as at 35 and disposed against the side of slab 22 opposite that against which the main .or body portion of the contact 30 is disposed.

In one upper corner the slab 22 is cut away as at 40 and secured in this corner is a contact 4| shown in detail in'Figs. 8 and 9. At the sides of the cut away portion 49 slab 22 is notched or perforated and the-contact 4| includeslugs 42 passing through such notches and bent against the slab as at 43 whereby the contact is secured to the slab. Further, contact 4| includes a portion 44 bent to enter the opening 31 before referred to. By reference to the drawing it will be seen that the portions 44 of contact 4| and 39 of contact 30 are arranged in diametrically opposite openings in the slab 22, the said portions being 180 degrees apart.

A switch means is provided for making and breaking a circuit between the portions 39 and 44 of the contacts. To this end the slab 22 is provided with an opening 45 through which extends a bolt 46' having a head 41. The opening 45 has one or more grooves 45 preferably two arranged on opposite sidesthereof and extending through the plate. The plate is also provided with one or more notches or recesses 45 preferably two and arranged between the grooves 45 and extending only part way through the plate as shown in Fig. 10. The end of bolt 45 opposite to head 41 is provided with one or more laterally projecting lugs 46 which are adapted to pass through the grooves 45 to the opposite side of the plate as the end of the bolt46 is inserted in the opening 45. Then the bolt may be-turned a partial revolution to bring the lug or lugs 46 out of alignment with the grooves 45 and may rest in the notches 45 and hold the bolt against turning. They will be retained in these notches by action of spring 49. This mounting will permit easy assembly or disassembly of the bolt and switch mechanism on the plate 22, and will also permit adjustment of,

the tension of spring 49. This adjustment is secured by pushing bolt 46 inwardly sufficient to remove lugs 46*, from notches 45 and then turningthe bolt until the proper tension has been applied to the spring. The lugs can then again be seated in the notches 45 and the bolt will be held in this position. Mounted on the bolt 46 is an operating member 41 of Bakelite, pressed fibreor other strong and durable insulating material. This operating member is adapted to impart quarter turn movements to a contact 48 whereby to move said contact to establish a-circuit between contact portions 39 and 44 and next move it to break such circuit. This movement is well known and involves a ratchet like mechanism comprising lugs 48 on contact 48 to alternately engage the sides of openings 53 in operating member 41 which turns the contact one quarter turn for each operation of member 41, a spring 49 being disposed about the bolt 46 and engaging in one of the openings 59 of the member 41, such member having four openings 59, which openings take turns in engaging the lugs 48' on contact 48 to move it. The contact 48 is held against reverse movement by engagement of the ends of fingers 48 with the end walls of openings 35, 36, 31 and 38 in member 22.

A pull chain 5| is connected with the member 41 as at 52 as shown more in detail in Fig. 12 and when this chain is pulled lugs 48 of the contact 48 are engaged in two of the openings 53 and as the contact is moved, say out of the openings 36 and 38, it forces the operating member toward the head 41 of bolt 46 against the action of spring 49 and when the contact 48 reaches the openings 35 and 31 it is released and contact fingers 48 of member 48 engage contacts 39 and 44 to establish a circuit between the lead wire 52 and the .contact portion 34.

As shown in Fig. 12 the chain includes a fiat link 5 l at its free end having an opening therein provided with straight parallel sides 5t to engage the opposite fiat sides of the operating member 41. The coaction of these sides with the sides of the member 41 prevents the chain swinging sidewise when not under strain or when slack and thus retains it on the edge of the disc or member 41 and thus the usual guide rail is not required to retain and hold the chain, thus doing away with this extra element so as to simplify the construction and reduce the cost of manufacture and assembling.

The spring 49 returns the operating member 41 to its original position. A stop is provided to limit the movement of the member under the action of the spring and for this purpose I prefer to equip the contact 41 with a projection 53 extending into the path of movement of the operating member. It will be understood that the next time .chain 5| is pulled contact 48 will be moved to break the circuit between portions 39 and 44 by moving fingers 43 away from these portions.

A guide means is provided for the chain 5! and includes a body portion 54 carrying a funnel like member 55 The slab 22 is provided with spaced perforations and the body 54 of the guide includes lugs extending through said perforations and bent against the slab as at 56 to secure the guide means in place. To assist in rigidly mounting the guide means, the body 54 thereof further includes a flange 51 which embraces one edge portion of the slab 22 as shown.

From the foregoing description it will be seen that the socket of the present invention may be free of porcelain or other easily breakable or fracturable molded insulating material, and that all of the contacts and operating parts for the switch mechanism are mounted on a relatively heavy slab or sheet of Bakelite, pressed fibre or the like. Additionally, it will be seen that most of the parts are mounted without the use of bolts or screws and that these parts comprise stampings having lugs adapted to pass through notches or openings in the slab and to be bent against the same whereby the parts are secured to the slab. Further it will be seen that theparts being mounted at the sides of a flat member are readily accessible for repair or replacement and that they are easily assembled.

Having thus set forth the nature of my invention, what I claim is:

1. In a socket, a screw shell, a slab of insulating material connected to the shell, a contact on the slab and projecting into the shell, a second contact on the slab, a binding post on the second contact, lugs on one of said contacts and extending from a side thereof, said slab having openings therethrough, said contact arranged against one side of said slab and having said lugs passed through said openings and bent over to secure the contact to the slab, said contact having a lug extending from the opposite side thereof, a switch mechanism on the slab including an element for establishing a circuit between said contacts, said switch mechanism including an operating part, and said contact having its oppositely extending lug forming a stop to limit the movement of the operating part of the switch mechanism in one direction.

2. In a socket, a support of insulating material, a switch mechanism on said support including a pivotally mounted insulating member having a hooked portion with fiat sides and a curved edge leading therefrom, and a pull chain having a link with an opening to receive said hooked portion, said opening having flat side edges to cooperate with the sides of the member to prevent the link turning sidewise out of the plane of said member.

3. In a lamp socket, a screw shell contact, a flat slab of insulating material and of substantially uniform thickness connected at one end to one end of said shell and extending at substantially right angles to said end of the shell, a central contact within the shell connected to said slab and including a portion lying flat against the latter, lead Wire connecting means mounted on said slab and lying thereagainst and connected directly therewith, and electrical connections from said connecting means to the respective contacts.

4. In a lamp socket, a screw shell partially closed at one end by a transverse wall with an opening through it, a plate on the inner side of said end wall and having spaced ears extending through said wall, a single flat slab of insulating material and substantially uniform in thickness extending at substantially right angles to said end wall with said cars at the side of said slab,

means for securing the ears to the slab, binding; posts fastened to a face of the slab, a central contact, carried by the slab and projecting into the shell through the opening in the end wall into a position for engagement by a central lamp contact, and electrical conductors on the slab for connecting the binding posts with the screw shell and central contacts.

5. In a socket, a screw shell, a single flat slab of insulating material secured to said shell and extending from one end thereof in a plane longitudinal of the axis of the shell, a switch mechanism mounted on said slab, a chain for operating said switch mechanism, a guide for said chain, said slab being provided with a transverse opening therein, and said guide having a wall engaging an edge of the slab and a lug extending through said opening and bent against the slab to secure the guide thereto.

6. In a lamp socket, an enclosing shell, a single flat slab of insulating material within and extending longitudinally of the shell, a screw shell contact mounted against one end of the slab and connected thereto, a central contact projecting into the screw shell and mounted on said slab, binding post mountings secured to the slab adjacent the opposite end from the screw shell, electrical connections on the slab extending from said mountings to the respective contacts, said slab having an opening therethrough, and a lug on one of said connections and passing through said opening and clinched and securing the connection to the slab.

'7. In a lamp socket, a screw shell lamp contact, a single fiat slab of insulating material extending in a plane longitudinal of the axis of the shell, a central lamp contact extending into the shell, means for connecting the central and shell contacts to the slab at one end thereof to mount them on the slab, stationary switch contacts mounted on the slab, movable switch contacts mounted on the slab to cooperate with the stationary contacts and mounted to turn about an axis extending transversely of the plane of the slab, means to operate the movable contacts, lead wire connecting means mounted on the slab, and electrical connections between the lead wire connecting means, the stationary contacts and the lamp contacts all mounted on the slab.

HARVEY HUBBELL, JR. 

